Cynthia D. Bertelsen

A classic, David’s book inspired a food revolution when Alice Waters read it and created Chez Panisse, her restaurant imbued with the spirit of David’s book.

One of the best French cookbooks I own, Johnston’s paean to Burgundy is just what soothes the soul on cold winter nights.

Moranville gets down to the basics in The Bonne Femme Cookbook, making everyday French dishes accessible every day of the week.

I’ve owned many cookbooks on the cooking of India, but this one is the best. After making the coconut rice recipe, an Indian friend said it tasted just like his mother’s … .

The uniqueness of this book begins with the unusual cover design. That uniqueness continues throughout the book as the author writes of cities circling the Black Sea, sharing emblematic recipes and history-laced stories.

Paula Wolfert’s first Moroccan cookbook educated me when I lived in Morocco for two years. This newer version includes photographs of dishes and ingredients, making the book more helpful, even to someone who will never step foot in the country.

I bought this book in Rabat, Morocco, at a small English-language bookshop run by a grumpy ex-pat Englishman. A treasure, the book came in handy because it introduced me to Morocco’s sister cuisines.

Ortiz’s book might not really be complete, but it comes close. In Haiti, I used it to enlarge my repertoire beyond that island.

A collection of English recipes way above and beyond bangers and mash, Toad-in-the-Hole, bread sauce, etc. Instead, much more elaborate recipes abound: Crab Tart, Chestnut and Apple Soup, Isle of Man Salt Duck. These are just a few of many examples of stellar English food that Ms. Grigson shares.

In this enormous, luscious book, Chef Nilsson takes readers through the whole of Scandinavia, not just his native Sweden. And he delivers a type of authenticity rarely seen in many cookbooks. Filled with sigh-inducing photographs of the region, The Nordic Cookbook provides a culinary experience for every single of the five senses